Classroom Updates for week of December 7th

Hello Everyone!

I sent a separate email regarding my medical leave that will begin this Monday. My surgery is next Wednesday at Mayo Clinic. I will be returning January 20th and Ms. Lowenburg will be the long term sub:) Very happy that the kiddos will have the same teacher back from the beginning of the year:)  Here are email addresses for Ms. Hernandez and Ms. Lowenburg...

Suzanne_hernandez@dpsk12.org
(Ms. Hernandez's blog for Literacy updates http://www.firstgrade411.com/)

Elizabeth_lowenburg@dpsk12.org

sara_bryan-doherty@dpsk12.org


I will also be checking email, as soon as I am feeling ok. It will be hard to not check in;) Please, please don't hesitate to email me if you have a question or concern that you feel I should know about. It's going to be hard to be away from the classroom!

I am looking forward to getting this last part of my "journey" finished and move on. I appreciate all of your kind words, thoughts, prayers, hugs and smiles. I work in such an amazing community and feel so proud to be a part of it:)

Here is all you need to know for next week...

Specials:
Monday: A Day (Art)
Tuesday: B Day (Technology)
Wednesday: C Day (Drama)
Thursday: D Day (Gym)
Friday: E Day (Music)

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SEND A SNCAK EVERYDAY!

PLEASE SEND A WATER BOTTLE ON MONDAY! It is MUCH more efficient for kiddos to be able to go to their water bottle in the classroom than go to the water fountain in the hallway.:)

1. Homework: Homework will come home tomorrow in your child's Thursday folder. The homework packet will have a calendar attached to the front of it. PLEASE follow the order of doing the homework sheets as the calendar has it laid out. Obviously, there will be nights that homework can't be done because of after school activities, it's just fine to catch up another night. However, please don't have your child complete the whole packet the first night they get it. It won't help them to do it all in one sitting; the material won't be absorbed. There will be work from Ms. Hernandez for Literacy and Math from me/Ms. Lowenburg. Homework will (usually) go home on Thursday and due back the following Thursday. I will be keeping track of who is turning in homework and who is not. I have talked to the kiddos about finding a special place at home to do their homework and to keep their homework so they can find it easily and not lose it. Also, I told them I don't want to hear "My Mom forgot to put it in my back pack so I don't have it" on the day it's supposed to be turned in. It's their responsibility to get their folder to school and turned in;).

2. Math: We are continuing to learn about subtraction and multiple strategies to solve equations. We have been specifically working on "decomposing" numbers to make the problem easier to solve. If students can give me the answer doing the work in their heads, I challenge them to show me their thinking on their white boards. We are working on writing their thinking down on paper, as well. example: 9 + 6 =  ? "First, I decomposed the 6 into a 1 and 5. Then, I made a friendly 10 with the 9 and 1. Next, I put the 5 into the ones place in the 10. Finally, I knew the answer was 15." It's crazy cool to see the way that the students are able to apply these strategies and explain them. They are really catching on!

3. Flat Stanley project: Coming home in your child's Thursday folder tomorrow will be a manila envelope with materials for the Flat Stanley project. There is a parent letter in it that will explain the project. It's so much and really helps the kiddos learn about other states and communities. If you have any questions, let me know:)

4. Geography: The kiddos are working on their 3D maps of a town that they created with two other students. They are taking their learning about maps and compiling it all into this project. They are creating a town/map that has at least 10 buildings that make their community safe and successful (police/fire station, school, bank, grocery store, post office, etc.), including a map key and compass rose and making sure it's to scale. They are having a blast! The team work and problem solving strategies are amazing to watch ! The maps will be on display in the library starting next Tuesday. Stop by and check them out!!  Here are some photos...

Morning Class:

 Students worked collaboratively to create their town.

matching the buildings on the map with the symbols in the map key.




Road construction time!!









Buildings are starting to go up!


 
 

Afternoon Class:

The planning!! I like that there is  a Target!!


The road construction!!















THANK YOU for all of the maps that were sent in!! They will be used next week:)

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Bryan-Doherty